Met Eireann want the public’s help naming Ireland’s winter storms
Do you know any especially wildly cranky siblings or grumpy but chilled out friends that you reckon deserve to have a massive winter storm named after them? We can think of a few.
Now is finally your chance to get a storm named in your honour, or as a tribute to a pal or member of your family. You could even get one named after your worst enemy, if that's the mood you're in.
National forecaster Met Eireann have joined forces with the UK Met Office to launch their new 'Call for Storm Names' scheme this winter, and want our help.
Today we launch our new Call for Storm Names.
If you've ever wanted to name a storm, now is your chance!
To send your suggestion either:
– use the hashtag #IrishStormNames
– email us at stormnames@met.ie
– or write to us at Evelyn Cusack, Met Éireann, Glasnevin Hill, Dublin 9. pic.twitter.com/WhwfjzljX2— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) July 30, 2019
The 'Name our Storms' scheme aims to raise awareness of severe weather before it strikes.
A storm warrants a name when the Met Office or Met Éireann will issue an orange or red weather warning, and you buy all the booze and bread from Tesco and barricade your gaff.
The names are chosen based on the public's submissions every year, and memorable weather events in recent years include Storm Emma, Storm Ali and Storm Ophelia.
Remember when Lidl was raided by a JCB during Storm Emma in Tallaght last year? Mad times, they were.
Storms are named in alphabetical order in the sequence they occur, with each storm alternate between the first letter of a male name and female name, similar to the pattern created by the US National Hurricane Centre in the 1970s.
Storms starting with letters Q, U, X, Y and Z won’t be used, unfortunately. The first storms last year were named Ali and Bronagh, but this winter the first storm will be female.
We have been 'blown away' by the great response to our call for storm names. Further information is on Met News https://t.co/nZBqxazQlA And here's a video by our Head of Forecasting Evelyn Cusack explaining 'Why we name storms' https://t.co/bV9sT0p0cS #IrishStormNames
— Met Éireann (@MetEireann) July 30, 2019
Forecasters will avoid names with 'resonance' in the weather world, like 'Katrina' or 'Charlie' and famous/notorious names will be avoided. There'll be no Storm Greg (O'Shea), Storm Boris or Storm Trump.
Use the hashtag #IrishStormNames on Twitter to send your suggestion, email Met Éireann at stormnames@met.ie or write to Evelyn Cusack, Met Éireann, Glasnevin Hill, Dublin 9.
We deserve a Storm Maura after her explosive entrance into this year's Love Island villa, don't you agree?
